The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-16

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man soul could remain in that state
forever, we should think that it might
have some measure of enjoyment
that it might live on to all eternity,
cold, supine, spiritless, uninspired; that
at last there might be peace to the sin
full soul, though it were the peace of
utter insensibility. Sin, when it is fin
1shed, bringing forth death, spiritual
torpor, moral inertness and insensi bill
ity. In this very lack one might con-
ceive some measure of quietness and
rest.
But our faith holds out no such weak
and vapid hope as this. 1t leaves no
soul torpid and cold to languish for
ever under the burden of its sinfulness;
or despairing and full of fear to be
tossed and beaten for all eternity on
the waves of a shoreless sea of darkness.
We try to realize the force of all the
threatenings we read in the Bible
against sin. We try to feel what it
may cost human soul to arouse itself
from this torpor, to find it's way back
into harmony with it's own nature and
with the rhythm of Gods universe. But,
we say, it must be done. The word
has gone forth out of the mouth of God
and will not return to him void.
All this loss of harmony, this loss of
feeling, this lack of knowledge, this
want of spiritual discernment, must be
made good. Every sinful soul must
return to its allegiance to God, must
come to the knowledge Of the truth,
must work out it's own salvation. The
deep fountains of repentance, of god
ly sorrow, must be struck; the waters
of living faith must begin to flow {;
the fires of truth, of feeling, of holy
passion must be kindled penitence;
submission to God, holy love, heavenly
grace, white purity, must begin to glow
within, vitalizing it in every part. In
this world what despair waits on MUIR
der and debauchery what furies drive
the sensual on to their own destruction;
what visions haunt the drunkard's
brain; what hopeless agony and shame
wait on crime; what pain waits on
pride; what remOrse on passion; what
discomfort on envy and jealousy; what
uneasiness of mind on neglect of duty.
Here on earth, even in our widest
fear, we may measure ourselves with
the average attainment in morals, and
find some degree of comfort in the low
standard that prevails among men in
general. But what will our shame and
suffering be when we come to measure
ourselves with the holiness and purity
Of heaven; what will it be when truth,
as light from the face of the living
God, strikes into the soul to show it all
its own hideousness; when conscience,
as the voice of God, calls and will not
be still; when, thrilling through all our
being, there comes the knowledge that
we must awake to righteousness; that
languid, incapable as we are, spiritually,
we must set out on the quest for holi-
ness and fight the battle to the end.
The retributions for sin are the dis
tOrtion, the perversion of our human
nature; the loss of harmony, the dis
cord of the soul with God and with the
agencies that obtain in his universe !;
the loss of inheritance in the Christ
character as the heir Of all things; and,
lastly, the deep contrition, The pain, the
sorrow, that come with the first awak-
ing to the knowledge of truth, and the
beginning of the life of righteousness.
All this is fundamental to our faith.
We believe it in all its positive weight
and power. We believe that religion
and philosophy both teach it,
But it is the priceless glory of our
faith to teach also, that the Father
sent the Son to be the Saviour of the
world. In Jesus, the Christ, we behold
the Lamb of God that taketh away the
sin of the world; in his face we have
the knowledge of the glory and the
love of God; we rest in perfect trust in
his promise: "If be lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men unto me-"
1t is the comfort, the inspiration, the
saving-power of our faith to believe
that God and his Holy Spirit, the CANCELS
of heaven, the constructive forces of
the universe, all the best and noblest
faculties of the soul, are on the side of
righteousness. Fight the battle we all
must. But no soul fights alone, God is
with it; Christ leads it; truth lights it;
love inspires it; punishment chastens
and corrects it; hope purifies it faith
supports ii; and, at last, heaven re-
ceives it, NJ. e. De L.
INCREASE OF THE MINISTRY.